


Chance

by hummerhouse



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Arousal, Biting, Competition, Complete, Desire, Implied Sexual Content, Kissing, M/M, Seduction, TSlash, Touching, Turtlecest (TMNT), tcest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:07:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26395381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hummerhouse/pseuds/hummerhouse
Summary: Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. No money being made.Type: TMNT 2k12, multi-chapterRated: MSummary: A birthday giftfic for Caroaimezoe.  Leonardo is now the head of their small mutant family.  As close as they  all are, he feels that something important is lacking.  They could be closer, stronger, but it requires they do the one thing they've never done before.  To take a chance.
Relationships: Donatello/Michelangelo (TMNT), Leonardo/Donatello (TMNT), Leonardo/Michelangelo (TMNT), Leonardo/Raphael (TMNT), OT4 - Relationship
Comments: 70
Kudos: 124





	1. It Begins

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Caroaimezoe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caroaimezoe/gifts).



Leonardo was Jonin.

That knowledge was empowering. He was no longer simply ‘leader’. His new title had been earned through hard work and real-life experiences. He was battle scarred, hardened, and wise beyond his nineteen years of life.

There was one higher title still. It could be his now; their father was gone and no one in their small clan was more gifted, more worthy, than Leonardo. However, his brothers were not yet ready for their oldest sibling to step into that position. They needed a push.

All three, in one way or another, were willful and disobedient. Leonardo smiled as he thought of them. He would never dream of robbing them of the things that made each unique. What he needed was to bring them closer without destroying the spark that made them who they were.

Leonardo led their training sessions and pushed them hard. Their skill level was greater than ever; as a group the four turtles were beyond formidable. They had all mastered many mystic techniques as well. There was no area of ninjutsu to which Leonardo could have pointed and said, “You can do better.”

The problem lay within their attitudes. Though they had lived many lifetimes inside of their nineteen years, his brothers often fell back on behaviors from earlier times in their existence.

Raphael still had a tendency to go rogue, to allow his temper to make his decisions for him. When he was riled, he pushed back against Leonardo’s commands, second-guessing the orders given to him.

Donatello’s mind was beyond compare, but his distractions were many. There were still instances during battle when something would catch his attention and draw him away from where he had been told to remain.

Michelangelo’s insight and understanding of the motivations of others served their team well. He was physically gifted but his thoughts were often unfocused and scattered. There were still times when he would lower his guard and leave himself or his brothers unprotected.

Corrections to these behaviors needed to be made. In his youth, Leonardo had argued, shouted, grown angry and sometimes vindictive in his attempts to bring order to their chaos.

Those tactics did not work. With age came knowledge; Leonardo had watched how his father had handled each of them, how he had altered his strategy to deal with the individual personalities of his sons. Master Splinter had rarely shown anger. He was firm, he was strict, but he was also loving and patient.

Firm and strict were things that Leonardo had tried. He realized that there had to be balance as well. While he loved his brothers and they him, none of the four allowed themselves to display that love.

Leonardo’s eyes narrowed in thought. They were the only four of their kind. The call of species to species was strong.

There had been opportunities in the past for each of them with people outside of their clan, chances that had offered physical fulfilment and perhaps something more permanent. Chances that would have meant the end of a future filled with celibacy and loneliness.

None of the four had accepted what had been offered. Not even Leonardo, though Karai had certainly tempted him with her wiles. Something had been lacking, when he’d touched her, kissed her, there was no spark.

Inexperienced as he was, Leonardo knew that being with the right partner should set fire to his loins and Karai did not do that for him. His refusal of her offers made her stomp off in a huff, whether from embarrassment or anger he wasn’t certain. She had left for Japan shortly afterwards and the Foot contingent who were left behind were not well disposed towards the turtles. The chance to make allies of the Foot had vanished with Karai.

Leonardo had been forthright with his brothers. Not one of them had faulted him for his decision. A look passed between them, one of understanding, empathy, and something else as well. It was of resignation; acceptance of the lot that had been cast with regards to them ever having the chance to experience the special closeness of a loving companion.

The idea, when it hit him, did not shock Leonardo. Rather, it felt suddenly as if all of the pieces of a huge puzzle had fallen into place. In his meditation Leonardo examined the concept and found that it suited their circumstances perfectly. That it left him quivering in anticipation only proved the rightness of the decision he’d just made.

Opening his eyes, Leonardo leaned forward to blow out the candles that surrounded him. In darkness, he reviewed the strategy he meant to employ and found it solid. Now all he needed was to determine who would be first.

He settled on Michelangelo. A corner of Leonardo’s mouth lifted. The youngest of his brothers was the most open to trying new things. It was an excellent choice.

xxxxx

Two days and a night passed before Leonardo made his move. He spent that time watching Michelangelo, observing and studying him in a way he had never done before.

Michelangelo’s energy was intriguing. Even when he was seemingly at ease there was always some part of his body moving. Sometimes it was his toes tapping the ground, or a foot bouncing where it was draped across his knee. Often it was his fingers dancing; on a table, the couch, the floor, his newest video game. Frequently his head bobbed to some unheard rhythm. At times when he was required to be perfectly still, Leonardo would see his lips part to mouth the words to some song.

When Donatello asked Raphael to help him drop the engine from one of their vehicles, Leonardo saw his chance to get Michelangelo alone. Remaining in the lair was not an option, just because the other two were occupied did not mean they would remain so for as long as Leonardo required.

“Mikey.”

Michelangelo looked up from the comic book he’d just opened. “Yeah?”

“Put the book down and come with me,” Leonardo said, looking at his brother expectantly.

Closing the comic, Michelangelo eyed his brother with a touch of suspicion. “Where are we going?” He added quickly, “I’ve already meditated today, it would be cruel and unusual punishment if you asked me to do it again.”

“No meditation. I thought we’d take a look at that building on Jefferson. I noticed the other night during our patrol that it had a ‘for sale’ sign on the door. You know how an empty building attracts the wrong sort of people,” Leonardo said.

Expression brightening, Michelangelo hopped up off the couch. “That sounds like fun. Isn’t that the building next to a senior living center? I’ll bet they’d appreciate having a pair of heroes keeping their neighborhood safe.”

As they left the lair and began jogging through the tunnels, Leo glanced at his brother. “Before you ask, no you may not put on a costume and go looking for recognition.”

Michelangelo pursed his lips in a pout. “How about I leave a business card? I was thinking about making some. We could get a side business going, maybe charge a fee for solving problems. No one would have to see us. I’d take pies as payment.”

He continued pitching ideas as they ran. Leonardo enjoyed listening to them, no matter how outrageous they were. Michelangelo’s imagination had always brought color to an otherwise dull existence. What they would ever do without him was something that Leonardo did not even want to imagine.

The building in question had indeed just been put up for sale, but it wasn’t in danger of being broken into, at least not by street people. The lower windows were heavily boarded up, as was the front entrance. A tall barbed wire fence surrounded the property and the current owner had installed motion sensors around the perimeter.

None of that deterred the pair of ninjas, who didn’t bother with approaching from the ground. It took Leonardo less than a second to pry open an upstairs window so that he and Michelangelo could gain entrance.

Remaining together, the duo silently moved from room to room. The building had at one time housed offices for a number of small companies. Each area had a slightly different set-up, dependent on the type of company renting it.

Leonardo had already made a survey of the building on a previous lone visit. After they had searched from the bottom floor up to the fifth, Leonardo made certain their quest ended in one particular spot. It was in the office once occupied by a psychiatrist.

The man had gone into bankruptcy and some of his furniture remained in the office. That included a very large chaise lounge.

As soon as Michelangelo’s eyes landed on that lounge he started to snicker. “Wonder what the doc used that for?”

Not one to miss an opening, Leonardo walked over to it and sat down. “This is very soft. Maybe the guy went out of business because his clients kept falling asleep.”

Michelangelo took the bait, his curiosity bringing him over to sit next to his older brother. “Wow, this is nice.” He smoothed a hand over the plush surface of the chaise. “We should keep this. There has to be a way to get it out of the building. We could remove those double windows, and use a winch to get it up to the roof.”

As he talked, Leonardo watched him, entranced by the animation in Michelangelo’s expressions. While he knew he could easily just sit and listen to him, that was not what Leonardo had in mind.

Lifting the hand nearest his brother, Leonardo very deliberately placed it on Michelangelo’s upper thigh.

Michelangelo’s eyes widened and his words trailed off. He looked down at Leonardo’s hand, staring at it like it was some sort of foreign object. They never touched each other’s bodies, not when they weren’t practicing. Certainly never in this manner.

He finally looked up at Leonardo, who was waiting patiently for his brother’s reaction. That Michelangelo hadn’t immediately jumped off the chaise was a good sign.

“I would like to propose that we do a trust exercise,” Leonardo said, emotion making his voice deeper than usual.

“O~kay,” Michelangelo responded carefully, his brow creased slightly. “I think you already know I trust you with my life.”

Leonardo nodded, never taking his gaze off of Michelangelo’s. “Of course I do. I trust you with mine. This is something different.”

Michelangelo’s eyes shot down to Leonardo’s hand on his leg and then back up again. He took a breath before asking, “How different?”

Very gently, Leonardo squeezed his brother’s thigh. “Does this make you nervous?”

The younger turtle bit his lip. “ . . . no.”

“I can feel the muscles in your thigh jumping under my palm,” Leo said. “Tell me the truth.”

“It . . . kinda makes me nervous,” Michelangelo told him.

“Why?”

Michelangelo seemed to think about that. “I guess ‘cause we don’t touch. Sometimes we’ll hug, but only when something really emotional happens.”

“Does this feel bad?” Leo asked.

In a barely audible voice, Michelangelo replied, “No.”

“How does it feel?”

Once more Michelangelo bit his lip and then placed a hand to his stomach. “I get this tingly feeling in here. It gets stronger when you move your fingers.”

Leonardo squeezed again before sliding his hand ever so slightly inward. “Like this?”

“Yeah,” Michelangelo said in a near whisper. He was heavy lidded now, the space between his thighs widening almost without his notice.

“Is it a bad feeling?” Leonardo began moving his thumb over Michelangelo’s skin, rubbing in a circular pattern.

Michelangelo churred. The sound apparently took him by surprise because he clapped a hand to his mouth. From between his fingers, he said, “I didn’t mean to do that.”

In response, Leonardo slid his hand closer to his brother’s groin. His own body was heating up, his nostrils widening to take in the scent of arousal that Michelangelo’s skin had begun to excrete.

“I wanted to hear it,” Leonardo said. He reached up with his free hand to pull Michelangelo’s hand away from his mouth. “You didn’t answer me. Is this a bad feeling?”

With the tip of his pinky finger, Leonardo brushed the crease between Michelangelo’s thigh and groin.

“No!” Michelangelo squeaked. He swallowed thickly. “N . . . not bad.”

“Do you want more?”

Michelangelo’s mouth opened and then closed. “Should . . . is this something . . . is it okay? Is it . . . is it right?”

Leonardo could have spent an hour explaining how he had reached this decision, how they were the only one’s of their kind, how he had come to the conclusion that his brothers felt the same as him. He could have reminded Michelangelo that he was the one to break things off with Renet, stating when asked that it didn’t ‘feel’ right.

Instead he simply said, “Yes.”

Nodding, Michelangelo accepted that in exactly the same way he had come to accept anything that his Jonin said. It made Leonardo’s heart flutter in a way it never had when he’d been with Karai.

But the last thing Leonardo wanted was for any of his brothers to think that this was required of them. If what they did with him was not of their own free will, then it wouldn’t be what Leonardo had envisioned. It would pull them apart rather than bringing them closer together.

“Mikey. Listen to me. The only thing we are right now is family. I’m not your leader giving you orders. We’re equals,” Leonardo said, making certain he had his brother’s full attention. “I know what I want but this is as far as I go with you. At this point, you have to decide what happens next. We can get up and go back home and there will be no repercussions. I promise.”

He was pleased to see that Michelangelo appeared to be giving it some thought. Then Michelangelo surprised him the way that he usually did; by acting.

Without a word, the younger turtle leaned in and placed a kiss to Leonardo’s mouth. It wasn’t a light peck either, his lips lingered on his brother’s, shifting positions a couple of times to savor the feeling.

When Michelangelo broke the kiss, he stayed close to his brother. “Remember when me and Renet broke up? I told you guys it was ‘cause things weren’t right between us, that she was always running around through time instead of being with me. Really it was ‘cause when I would kiss her, I didn’t feel anything. I did it ‘cause she expected it, but it never made me want to do more. She did and I just couldn’t.”

He was blushing, the sight so endearing that Leonardo very nearly dove in for another kiss. Instead, he held steady and said, “I experienced that same thing with Karai.”

“I always wondered,” Michelangelo said, looking very wise. “I wondered too if it’d be different if I was with another turtle. That made me think about you guys like . . . that.”

Leonardo blinked. It hadn’t entered his mind that any of his brothers would be entertaining the same sort of desires that he’d had. “You did?”

“I dreamed about stuff too.” Michelangelo stared at him. “I’m not dreaming right now, am I?”

“No, you’re not dreaming,” Leonardo said. “Was I in any of them?”

“You sure were,” Michelangelo said. He cleared his throat. “You were a really good leader in them too.”

The hopeful look on his face was all that Leonardo needed to see. This time he initiated the kiss, deepening it so that their tongues connected and wound together in a sensual dance.

When Michelangelo churred again, Leonardo responded in kind. Barely breaking the kiss, the pair removed their weapons and slid up onto the chaise, their bodies winding together.

Leonardo’s lips left Michelangelo’s so that he could cover the younger turtle’s neck with kisses. Michelangelo’s grip tightened to pull his brother closer and Leonardo bit his shoulder enough to leave a mark.

Their gazes met when Leonardo lifted his head. Michelangelo’s eyes were filled with need and desire surged through Leonardo’s veins.

“Tell me what you want, Mike,” Leonardo urged. “Tell me your dream.”

Michelangelo rolled onto his carapace, pulling Leonardo along with him. “This is how it starts,” he said, his voice breathy and eager. “I’ll bet you can figure out the rest.”

Leonardo smiled. The rest was easy. It was all instinct.

TBC....


	2. Seduction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 3,220 TMNT multi-chapter  
> Rated: M

In bed, Michelangelo was as enthusiastic and imaginative as Leonardo had known he would be.

He was also fairly vocal, so in order to enjoy each other, they had to continue visiting the building where they’d first connected. Their absences were frequent enough to draw a question in that regard from Donatello.

Leonardo easily fielded the inquiry by explaining that he had decided to help Michelangelo burn off some of his excess energy with additional training runs. Donatello had accepted the explanation, but Leonardo was certain he saw a touch of suspicion in the genius’ gaze.

On the other hand, Raphael asked nothing at all. His only comment on the subject was how much he enjoyed having uninterrupted television viewing time.

Leonardo found this to be worrying behavior. As of late, Raphael had shown a tendency to isolate himself from his family. If it weren’t for practice sessions and the occasional request from Donatello for assistance, Raphael wouldn’t have interacted with his siblings at all.

The one hopeful sign was that he _would_ respond agreeably to Donatello. As the brothers matured, the once contentious interactions between Donatello and Raphael had mellowed. Raphael no longer made fun of Donatello’s intellect or his fighting ability.

For his part, Donatello seemed to depend on Raphael more than he had in the past. They had something in common; whereas Leonardo and Michelangelo had been the ones to break off the burgeoning relationships with the women in their lives, their brothers had been left behind.

Y'Gythgba, called Mona Lisa by Raphael, had chosen to return to her own people. Something had happened between them, something that Raphael had refused to discuss. He hadn’t seemed overly upset by that turn of events, but he was the brother most likely to hide his emotions behind a facade of indifference.

When April O’Neil had elected to leave New York in order to attend college, Leonardo had braced himself. He had expected Donatello to be devastated and quite possibly unable to function.

Donatello had moped for a week and then had seemed to snap out of it. The quick rebound was a surprise to everyone and it had prompted Leonardo to ask after his brother’s well-being. The assurances from Donatello regarding his mental health had the ring of truth to them, so Leonardo dropped the subject.

It had been only a short while later that Donatello had begun actively seeking Raphael’s assistance with various projects.

One evening, as Leonardo and Michelangelo lay together in post-coital bliss, the younger turtle asked, “How much longer do I have you all to myself?”

Leonardo’s mind had been drifting, his body completely relaxed, and the question coming so out of the blue startled him.

“What do you mean?” Leonardo countered. He wanted to be certain as to the direction of Michelangelo’s thoughts before giving anything away.

Michelangelo lifted his chin from his brother’s chest and looked him in the eyes. “I know what you’re trying to do. You want all of us, don’t you?”

“Remember what you told me?” Leonardo asked, meeting his brother’s gaze. “Our first night together, you said that you thought about us in a sexual way, that you even dreamed of doing things with us. Us. Not just me.”

“Oh, I’m not against it,” Michelangelo said, flashing his trademark grin. “I just wanted you to know how much I enjoyed being spoiled and that I’m happy you picked me first.”

Holding his brother tighter, Leonardo said, “I am too. But you know I have to try to bring all of us together and this feels like the way to do that.”

“You’re right, it is,” Michelangelo replied, pressing his cheek to Leonardo’s scutes. “I think we’ve been putting walls up around our feelings since . . . since Sensei died.”

Leonardo fought to hold back a shiver. He hated thinking of that event, but he hated even more how none of them could even reminisce about their father. It was the first time that Michelangelo had referred to Master Splinter in ages.

“Walls.” Leonardo sighed. “Yes, that’s a great way to describe it. We’ve been carrying on, going through the motions, and not really connecting. All I know, Mikey, is that it’s up to me to break down those walls.”

Michelangelo kissed his chest. “My walls are down. I’m really happy with how you broke them. You wanna break them again before we go home?”

Chuckling, Leonardo patted Michelangelo’s shell. “I’m certain I can manage that. My question for you, though, is which of our brothers should I approach next?”

“Donnie,” Michelangelo answered with absolutely no hesitation. “He needs it. You gotta have seen how he is with Raph.”

Once again Michelangelo managed to stun him. It took Leonardo a second to process what he’d said. “How is he with Raph?”

Rolling over, Michelangelo sat up. “Do you really think Donnie needs that much help with stuff? He hardly ever asked us to do any of his projects with him in the past, but now he suddenly can’t finish something unless Raph helps him?”

As always, Michelangelo’s insight was eye opening. Leonardo silently thanked his own instincts for choosing to approach his youngest brother first.

Then a thought struck him. “Do you think Donnie would only be receptive to Raph?”

“If receptive means will Donnie only open his legs for Raph, then no,” Michelangelo responded, an impish expression on his face. “Dee wants to feel like he’s important to someone. More important than just being Mr. Fix-It. You remember how he was always trying to find a reason to be near April? He’s doing it again and he picked Raph ‘cause he thinks I break stuff and that you don’t know how to use a screwdriver.”

Leonardo frowned. “I do so know how to use a screwdriver.”

If possible, Michelangelo’s smile grew wider. “You stuck one in the toaster and blew out half the lights in the lair.”

“Okay, so maybe Donnie has a point,” Leonardo said. “You do too. I’ll find a way to get Don alone.”

“I’ll help,” Michelangelo said with a wink. “No one is as good at distracting Raph as I am.”

Leonardo grabbed onto his brother’s arms and pulled him close again. “You should be paid in advance for your assistance,” he said, his lips brushing Michelangelo’s.

“You’re darn right I should.”

xxxxx

Another day passed before Leonardo saw his opportunity to approach Donatello.

On his way to the genius’ lab, Leonardo exchanged glances with Michelangelo. The younger turtle gave him a thumbs up, which thankfully wasn’t seen by Raphael, who was sprawled on the couch reading a magazine.

Pausing in the doorway to the lab, Leonardo watched as Michelangelo plopped down on the floor near Raphael. Crossing his fingers that Michelangelo could keep his brother occupied without also aggravating him, Leonardo stepped into the lab.

Donatello was at one of his work tables, scribbling something onto a note pad, his tongue peeking from between his lips. To Leonardo, the tongue thing was an endearing habit, one that Donatello wasn’t even conscious of doing.

“Oh hey, Leo,” Donatello said, glancing up when his brother’s movements caught his eye. “What’s up?”

Leonardo shrugged, endeavoring to appear both nonchalant and mildly distressed at the same time. “Actually, I wanted to check on you. I just realized that I’ve been spending so much time focusing on Mike that I haven’t asked how you’ve been doing.”

“I’m good. Getting a lot done actually.” Donatello offered his brother one of his gap-toothed smiles.

There was a hint of sadness to it that Leonardo did not fail to miss. Rather than commenting on it and risk embarrassing his brother, Leonardo said, “I have noticed all of the work you’ve put into fixing up the lair. Raph seems especially fond of the foosball table the two of you scrounged up.”

“You mean he likes kicking everyone’s butt on that game. It was nothing. Raph helped a lot with getting it home and repaired,” Donatello said, trying to sound humble.

There was still a touch of satisfaction in his voice. Michelangelo had been right; Donatello did need to feel like he meant something to them.

“Raph has been helping you with modifications to the Shellraiser too, hasn’t he?” Leonardo asked.

Donatello’s eyes lit up. “I’ve managed to increase the Shellraiser’s energy output by seventeen percent. It’s cleaner too; no puffs of smoke from the exhaust to give away our position anymore.”

“How does it handle?” Leonardo asked.

“Smooth as silk,” Donatello replied. “We also added additional stabilizers.”

The conversation couldn’t have played more perfectly into Leonardo’s hands. “As the designated driver, I think I should be the judge of that. How about the two of us take the Shellraiser for a test spin?”

“Okay,” Donatello said, immediately jumping up from his seat.

For Leonardo, this was one of the trickiest parts of his plan. He needed to leave the lair in the Shellraiser without drawing Raphael’s attention. As it turned out, Michelangelo had taken care of that for him by somehow getting his brother into the dojo. Leonardo had no idea how he’d managed it, but he could just hear their voices as he and Donatello went through the turnstiles and entered the Shellraiser.

The vehicle’s engine turned over with less noise than usual. “Wow, it practically purrs,” Leonardo observed.

On his viewing screen he could see Donatello beaming with pride. As they drove out of the tunnels and onto the city streets, Donatello began a running dissertation on all of the alternations he’d made to both the Shellraiser and the Party Wagon.

It had been a while since Leonardo had seen Donatello so animated. It was rare for any of Donatello’s brothers to actually listen to him; they usually cut him off when he started to get long-winded.

This time Leonardo focused not so much on the words, but on the way Donatello spoke. Leonardo had become so inured to his brothers ramblings that he normally paid little attention beyond grabbing the information he absolutely needed to hear.

Because of that, Leonardo had forgotten how Donatello’s whole being seemed to light up whenever he was enthusiastic about something. There was actually a kind of poetry in the way Donatello spoke; his words ardent and compelling all at once.

It was enlightening to hear Donatello in this new way, so with encouraging words and intelligent questions, Leonardo kept him talking. As he grew more confident with his audience, Donatello’s voice took on a different timbre, one that was richer and more vibrant. There was a sweetness to it as well, especially when Donatello spoke of things he’d done or wanted to do in order to improve his brothers’ lives.

They were nearing the destination that Leonardo had chosen; Brooklyn Bridge Park. In the aftermath of the Kraang invasion, the park hours had changed and so had the security measures to keep people out at night. Those security measures didn’t apply to a vehicle that was large enough to appear as though it belonged to the sanitation department.

It wasn’t until Leonardo parked the Shellraiser that Donatello took note of their location and stopped talking. The view was one of the best in the city, and looking out over an expanse of trees towards the water, they could even see a few stars.

Leonardo got out of his seat and opened the door to leave the vehicle. When he looked back, he saw that Donatello was still seated and was staring at him in confusion.

Crooking a finger at his brother, Leonardo said, “Come with me.”

Using one of the back wheels as a springboard, Leonardo hopped onto the top of the Shellraiser. Donatello followed suit and went to stand next to his brother, who was looking out towards the Statue of Liberty.

“What are we doing?” Donatello asked.

“We’re enjoying the view of the city we saved,” Leonardo said. “Don’t you think we should do that every once in a while just to remind ourselves of all the good we do?”

Donatello shrugged. “Sure, I guess so.” He was quiet for a moment, and then asked, “Is this what you and Mikey have been doing?”

Leonardo glanced at him and then sat down, stretching his legs out in front of him. Reaching up, he took his brother’s hand and said, “Join me.”

Once Donatello was sitting beside him, Leonardo released his hand. Donatello was seemingly unaware that Leonardo had guided him to sit close, because the maneuver had been subtle.

After a few more moments of silence, Leonardo spoke softly. “Mikey and I _have_ been taking the time to remind ourselves of what we have in our lives that is good. We can’t always worry, Donnie. We can’t spend all of our time trying to prepare for the things that might happen because when we do that, we aren’t _living_.”

Frowning, Donatello said, “But you’re the one who stresses that we practice every day, that we improve our skills as much as we possibly can.”

“Of course I do,” Leonardo said. “For us, that is basic survival. It doesn’t have to be everything that we are.”

“Is this some new insight you’ve achieved through meditation?” Donatello asked.

“Actually, it is,” Leonardo said. “It didn’t come to me through meditation, but it did help me to find the answer I was seeking.”

“What answer was that?”

Donatello was staring at him, curious and open. When Leonardo turned his head to meet his brother’s eyes, he was sure he saw expectancy in them as well.

“I think you know.”

They were four simple words, but the effect was immediate; Donatello blushed and looked away. “I misunderstand things,” he mumbled.

A more direct approach worked with Michelangelo, but Leonardo knew that what Donatello needed was romance. For Donatello to be receptive, Leonardo needed to court him. Hence the choice of setting and their proximity to one another.

Both were leaning back on their hands. Very slowly, Leonardo inched his hand towards Donatello’s and set his fingers atop his brother’s.

Leonardo heard the slight hitch in Donatello’s breath, but his brother didn’t try to pull away. Tilting his head back, Leonardo contemplated the moon. He could feel it when Donatello peeked at him and then glanced away, skittish as an alley cat.

“Remember how it was out there in the vastness of space?” Leonardo asked. “Despite our worries, we still had time to see the beauty that was all around us.”

“I’ve always liked astronomy,” Donatello said, almost shyly.

“I always liked it when we were little and you drew the planets and stars on pieces of paper,” Leonardo said. He chuckled. “For you it was science, for Mikey it was something he could color.”

“He would drive me crazy always stealing my projects,” Donatello said.

“He wasn’t the only one. I stole a few of them too,” Leonardo confessed.

“You did?”

Leonardo looked over at him, making certain to hold his brother’s gaze. “I still have some. I’d look at them at night, when we were supposed to be sleeping, and imagine all sorts of adventures we could have together.”

“I never knew that,” Donatello said. He sighed. “I guess we got to have those adventures.”

“We did. Together,” Leonardo stressed. “People come and go in our lives, Donnie. The one thing we truly have is each other.” He gently caressed Donatello’s fingers, rolling onto his hip in order to bring the other hand up to his brother’s cheek. “The only thing we truly need is each other.”

“Are you sed . . . sedu . . . ?” Donatello’s words trailed off; his expression poignant.

“Seducing you?” Leonardo asked. “Yes, I am. No misunderstandings. I will always be open with you, I won’t lead you on, and I won’t leave you wondering about my feelings.”

Donatello blushed even more, his lips parting as he drew in a shuddering breath. “So, you and Mikey . . . ?”

“Yes,” Leonardo answered. “He wants to be with you too.”

“That’s why . . . distracted Raph . . . this trip . . . helping you . . . .”

Donatello’s brain seemed almost to be overloading. Leonardo quickly set his thumb against his brother’s lips, stopping the flow of words and redirecting his attention.

“I want you to focus on me right now,” Leonardo said. “It’s just the two of us. I want to make love to you, Donnie.”

Blinking a few times first, Donatello began speaking rapidly. “It makes sense when you think about it. I mean, it’s not like I haven’t considered . . . this. If anything, April made me think about it more, not just after she left, even though I did after she left too. I thought about it before, when she was still around because she never seemed to get how I felt. How I thought I felt. Then I wondered if I was doing everything wrong for a deeper reason. Maybe I was pursuing her because I thought I had to, not because I wanted to. Does that make sense? She was giving me mixed signals, well, mostly it was no, and Casey was . . . I think with him I was being competitive, and then Raph teasing me. But after she left, I didn’t feel like I’d lost everything, and isn’t that what I should have felt if she was the one?”

He giggled nervously, staring at Leonardo as if he needed a lifeline. Leonardo lightly gripped the back of his head and pulled him down so that their foreheads were touching.

“Shh,” he shushed. “Take a breath. I know you prefer to weigh things out, to analyze every step before moving forward. Sometimes, Donnie, you have to simply take a chance.”

“Isn’t this more than a chance?” Donatello asked, his voice hushed. “Isn’t this . . . life altering?”

“Yes it is,” Leonardo said. He shifted in order to place a barely there kiss to Donatello’s lips. In a gentle whisper, he added, “I love you. There is no greater truth than that.”

Donatello exhaled slowly, as if releasing all his inhibitions, and melted into Leonardo’s touch. “I love you too.”

With a smile, Leonardo pressed his lips to his brother’s. This kiss was stronger, Leonardo’s tongue pushing its way into Donatello’s mouth. The pair moved even closer, their arms wrapping around one another as they kissed.

Leonardo felt more than heard Donatello’s first churr and he responded in kind. A pulse had begun beating between his legs and from the way Donatello kept pressing his knees together, Leonardo knew he was becoming just as aroused.

It took will-power to pull his mouth off of Donatello’s. He heard his brother swallow thickly, his eyes glazed as he stared at Leonardo’s lips.

“You know, you never responded to me,” Leonardo said.

Donatello drew in several long breaths, his shoulders shaking. His tongue flicked out over his bottom lip before he asked, “About what?”

“When I expressed my desire to make love to you,” Leonardo said. “Do you want that too?”

Desire darkened Donatello’s brown eyes, the reddish tinge in them suddenly more pronounced. “Yes, oh yes,” he responded, quickly lying back and spreading his legs.

Leonardo needed no more encouragement than that.

TBC......


	3. Final Piece of the Puzzle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 4,067 TMNT multi-chapter  
> Rated: M

Leonardo stood in a shadowed recess of the dojo, unobtrusively watching as Raphael sparred against imaginary foes.

There was incredible strength in each of his movements; raw power etched into every line of muscle. Leonardo’s eyes traced his brother’s body with ill-disguised appreciation. It was only in hidden moments like these that he could let the air of detachment fall away and allow his desire to become evident.

A bit more than a week had passed since Leonardo had first made love to Donatello. It was just as glorious and satisfying as his experiences with Michelangelo had been. During that period, Leonardo had split his time between his two brothers, introducing Donatello to the building on Jefferson and the chaise longue in the abandoned psychiatrist’s office.

Last night, Leonardo had brought the two of them together in that office. It was a step that needed to be taken if he wanted to achieve the openness he foresaw as the best way to keep his family solid.

Right away he noticed the guarded look appear once more on Donatello’s face. Even though Leonardo had assured him that Michelangelo both loved and wanted to be with him, the genius was feeling anxious.

Leonardo knew this reaction was an after-effect of the treatment Donatello had received at April’s hands. The young woman had herself been a mass of confusion and couldn’t expect to know what she wanted when she didn’t even know who she was, so Leonardo had never been angry at her over her treatment of his brother.

He had been disappointed though, because he expected April to be more honest about her doubts and questions. Rather than simply talking it out with Donatello, she had spent years giving him mixed signals, being receptive one minute and haughty the next.

When she’d chosen to leave for college, Leonardo had been secretly glad. He hadn’t actually realized then that he wanted his brother for himself, all he was really conscious of was that with her gone, Donatello’s moods might stabilize.

As soon as the three of them were together in the office, Michelangelo caught hold of Donatello’s hand and squeezed it reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Dee, everything’s gonna be great.”

“I’m not worried. Why would I be worried?” Despite that assurance, Donatello clung to his brother’s hand, staring at him as though afraid he’d disappear.

“We’re together now, nothing’s gonna pull us apart,” Mikey said, rising up on his toes in order to place a quick kiss on Donatello’s cheek. “That’s a down payment. There’s more where that came from.”

He waggled his eye ridges at Donatello, who couldn’t help but smile and visibly relax. Leonardo had remained silent, observing them to see if he needed to step in should they require help in connecting. Once it was clear that Michelangelo had things under control, Leonardo cleared his throat to garner their attention.

“Before we move on to more pleasurable activities, I think it’s time we talk about Raph,” Leonardo said.

Donatello nodded. “I agree. I don’t see how we can continue with this if Raph doesn’t want to be a part of it.”

“We could, but that would only drive him farther away,” Leonardo said. “None of us wants that. For my part, I don’t want to include him just because he shouldn’t be left out. I want him.”

It was a blatant statement of fact and his brothers clearly accepted it as such.

“Me too,” Donatello said, blushing slightly. “But I don’t know if he’ll see me that way. He made fun of me all the time about my crush on April.”

“That’s only ‘cause he knew she didn’t appreciate you,” Michelangelo said, patting Donatello’s shoulder.

He was still holding Donatello’s hand, so the comforting pat moved Michelangelo practically up against his brother’s side. Leonardo hid a smile; his youngest brother could be very manipulative.

“The only one of us he _does_ seem to want to spend time with _is_ you, Donnie” Leonardo said. “He’s been very withdrawn, barely speaks unless spoken to, and irritable. More so than usual.”

“He talks to Chompy,” Michelangelo said, winding his arm around Donatello’s and hugging it to his body.

“I’ve noticed his standoffishness,” Donatello admitted. “I ask him to help me with stuff because I feel like Raph just wants to be useful. If he’s not fighting some enemy, I’m not sure he knows where he fits.”

“You like the closeness you feel with him when he’s assisting you with a project, don’t you, Don?” Leonardo asked.

Once more Donatello blushed. “He’s really strong.”

Michelangelo grinned. “I’ve always thought you let him pin you down in practice on purpose.”

“I do not,” Donatello protested, though the blush climbed even higher. “You’re the one who’s always trying to aggravate him. Maybe _you_ like having him throw you to the ground and sit on you.”

“Sure I do,” Michelangelo admitted with a shrug. “Not gonna lie.”

“Well, it’s clear that something has to be done to reach him,” Leonardo said. “Give me your insights. Don, you say he needs to feel useful. What else?”

“He’s protective,” Michelangelo offered.

“He’s competitive,” Donatello said.

These were things that Leonardo already knew, but he wanted to find out how much his brothers knew about each other.

“Those are personality traits,” Leonardo said. “What reaches into him? What sparks that tenderness we see when he’s caring for Chompy? What opens him up to showing his feelings?”

“Being needed,” Michelangelo answered immediately. “Chompy needs him for, you know, everything.”

“Being valuable,” Leonardo mused slowly.

Donatello nodded. “Exactly. Having others be dependent on him.”

“He’s really emotional,” Michelangelo said. “Remember, he’s got a temper, Leo.”

Leonardo couldn’t help but smile. “Oh, trust me, I know.”

There was a very earnest look on Michelangelo’s face as he stared at his oldest brother. “That’s not what I mean, not ‘xactly. Hmm. Hold on, there’s a word.” He looked up into Donatello’s face, as if searching it for what he was trying to articulate. “Got it! Valuable. No, no, Leo just said that. Starts with a V though.”

“Vulnerable?” Donatello supplied.

Michelangelo’s expression brightened. “Yes, yes! That’s the one. He acts all huffy and bad tempered ‘cause secretly he’s really emotionally vulnerable.”

There was a satisfied tone to Michelangelo’s voice, as though he’d just scored the winning goal in some game. As Leonardo thought about what he’d said, he began to believe that Michelangelo had hit upon something important.

“Mikey, I don’t know what we’d do without you,” Leonardo said, cupping his little brother’s chin and giving him a quick kiss. “You have given me something concrete to explore and also quite possibly the key to reaching Raph.”

There was a sparkle in Michelangelo’s blue eyes. “Just a reminder, I like being rewarded for my good deeds.”

Leonardo stroked Donatello’s cheek with the backs of his fingers and then lightly kissed him as well. “The two of you can reward each other. You deserve it for helping me work through the dilemma of how to approach Raph.”

“That was in our own self-interest too, Leo,” Donatello said.

“We don’t mind having some me time together, do we Dee?” Mikey asked as he nuzzled Donatello’s arm.

“That isn’t how me time . . . never mind,” Donatello said, his gaze softening as he looked at his brother.

“Have fun, you two,” Leonardo said moving towards the window. “I want to be at the lair when Raph gets back from running around with Casey. He’d expect it.”

He didn’t receive a response to that and paused on the window sill to glance back. Donatello and Michelangelo were already wrapped in each other’s arms and sharing a deep kiss.

Smiling his satisfaction, Leonardo left them.

When Raphael had arrived home, he’d shot a testy glance in Leonardo’s direction, but kept going until he’d reached his room. The fact that he’d slammed the door behind him was a good indication that he knew Leonardo was waiting up for him and resented it.

Now while Leonardo watched as his brother worked out, he couldn’t help the misgivings that churned in his gut. The confidence he’d felt during his first encounters with Donatello and Michelangelo seemed a far-off thing. Raphael had already closed so much of himself off that it was going to be a challenge to reach him.

Being the leader, being Jonin, meant that he was expected to embrace those types of challenges. His father had trusted him, and Leonardo would honor his memory by doing everything in his power to keep his brothers close.

Donatello and Michelangelo were waiting as well. He’d seen the questioning looks on their faces as he passed them on his way to the dojo. His single nod conveyed the message that he was about to make his move. That was all the assurance the pair needed to turn their attention back to something they were doing on Donatello’s laptop.

“You just gonna stand there staring at me all night?”

Raphael’s question startled Leonardo out of his musings. He should have known his brother would sense his presence; it was something that they were trained to do.

“I was admiring your technique,” Leonardo said, stepping into the open. “I didn’t want to interrupt.”

Raphael snorted. “If you’re gonna start picking it apart, just know I’m not in the mood.”

“Far from it.” Leonardo walked out onto the rugs. “Your Kyan No Sai was perfect.”

“Yeah?” Raphael looked surprised, his defensive posture easing a bit. “Want to put it to a test?”

Leonardo smiled and drew his swords. They bowed to one another and then each took a stance. The atmosphere shifted from relaxed to watchful, each combatant surveying the other as they looked for weaknesses.

It was Raphael who charged first and Leonardo easily deflected the blow, surprised that his brother had chosen such a simple attack. A second later he knew why; with his attention drawn to Raphael’s hands, expecting something more complex, his brother was positioning his feet so that he could pivot and pull Leonardo off balance.

Unable to counter offensively, Leonardo took to defense, rolling onto a shoulder and then flipping far enough away to have time to get his guard up.

“Nice,” Leonardo said.

“Been working on that one,” Raphael replied with a grin. “There’s more where that came from.”

The pair continued their bout, neither gaining the upper hand. It went on for three-quarters of an hour before Leonardo realized that his plan for the evening wouldn’t come to fruition if he didn’t get his brother out of the dojo.

When they next clashed, their weapons pressed against each other as both struggled for dominance, Leonardo said, “I think we’re going to have to call this a draw.”

“Hah!” Raphael laughed, pushing his brother back. “Since when do we fight to a draw?”

Leonardo turned to keep Raphael in front of him as his brother began to circle. “Before I came in here I was actually thinking about going out for some air. How about a race to determine the winner?”

Raphael stopped moving, but kept his sais up. “You want to race? Where to?”

“The empty office building over on Jefferson,” Leonardo said. “I’ve been trying to keep an eye on it to prevent the drug dealers in the area from moving in.”

His brother seemed to think about that for a moment, the idea of possibly finding someone to beat up winning his internal discussion. He flipped his sais and tucked them into his belt. “Is that where you’ve been taking Mikey and Don lately?”

“I have to get them out of the lair somehow,” Leonardo said. He sheathed his swords. “They’re both occupied at the moment but I could . . . .” He trailed off, leaving their inclusion up to his brother.

“Leave them,” Raphael said. “If you want a race, I’ll give you a race. I don’t need to be tripping over them.”

As they passed through the lair on their way out, Leonardo could hear his younger brothers’ voices coming from the direction of the kitchen. Leonardo had no doubt that they’d gone in there to make certain they weren’t seen when he inevitably coaxed Raphael into going topside.

Once the pair were clear of the turnstiles, they started running.

Races weren’t an uncommon thing between the turtles, but Leonardo found this one to be more exhilarating than most. For one thing, there was more at stake.

Leonardo had not been surprised that he and Raphael had battled to a draw. Raphael was a warrior; he enjoyed a good fight, almost seemed to need one from time to time. In the past, Raphael had beaten him more often than the other way around. It was only through near constant training, both physically and mentally, that Leonardo was able to match his sibling.

A testament to Raphael’s own growth was in the fact that he’d accepted that their bout had ended in a tie. As much as he liked to win, he responded favorably to someone who could match or best him in a fight, provided that the other party was not an enemy.

Mona Lisa’s fighting prowess was what had first drawn Raphael to her. He respected that, both for her abilities and her determination.

Leonardo was equally determined. If he achieved nothing more than introducing the concept of mating with his own kind to Raphael, he would consider it a win. As long as it didn’t chase Raphael away.

Together the two turtles ran the rooftops, first one leading, then the other. They threw taunts at one another as they practically flew from building to building. It was easy to see that Raphael was enjoying himself because the smile on his face was wide and bright.

That sort of smile was rare to see these days. Since their father’s death, Raphael had been trapped in a sort of gloom that wrapped around him almost possessively. It was the thing that was closing him off from his family, the thing that needed to be stripped away.

Defeating Shredder had provided the vengeance the turtles had thirsted for, but it didn’t fill the hollow pit left in their hearts at the loss of Master Splinter. It would never totally heal, but it didn’t need to be the gaping wound that it had become for Raphael.

For Leonardo, changing the relationship he had with his other two brothers had gone a long way towards restoring his emotional balance. He knew it had done the same for them and hoped that it would also be the treatment that Raphael needed.

As Michelangelo had so aptly pointed out, Raphael was the most emotionally vulnerable of the four of them. When his feelings overwhelmed him, he tended to lash out in frustration. Leonardo’s goal was to prove to him that he didn’t have to keep those frustrations bottled up to the point that they caused an explosion. He had family who cared and would listen.

Leonardo suddenly realized that while he was wool-gathering, Raphael had taken the lead. Shaking his head to bring himself back to the present, Leonardo put on a burst of speed. Raphael had already touched down on the building opposite their destination and was several yards ahead of his brother.

Tearing across the rooftop, Leonardo slowly closed the gap between them. His brother began running faster as well, determined to win.

Within seconds they were side-by-side. Raphael’s head lowered as he charged for the roof’s ledge, his legs a blur. Leonardo willed his own to accelerate and then both brothers pushed off of the ledge at the exact same moment.

Air swept past Leonardo’s face as he soared into empty space surrounded by the purest sense of elation. The sheer joy of life filled that moment; his brother next to him as they pushed their bodies to their utmost limits.

Leonardo’s foot touched down a fraction of a second before Raphael’s. The momentum carried him half-way across the rooftop before he slowed to a stop. Raphael was right beside him, green eyes glinting with merriment.

“I won,” Leonardo stated simply.

“That’s only ‘cause you have longer legs,” Raphael said, still smiling.

“By about half an inch,” Leonardo told him.

“That’s about what you won by,” Raphael said. “Running was always more your thing anyway. I’m a stand and fight kind of guy.”

The smile fueled by adrenaline had already started to fade from Raphael’s face and Leonardo recognized that statement as the bait it probably was. He wasn’t going to be pulled into an argument that was designed to give Raphael an excuse to stomp off on his own.

“Want to check the building to see if anyone is trying to move in?” Leonardo asked, phrasing it as a question so that his brother wouldn’t perceive it as an order.

Raphael shrugged. “Sure, why not? We’re already here. Maybe I can find somebody to hit.”

On a previous visit, Leonardo had ensured that the roof access door was unlocked and he took Raphael into the building through there rather than a window. Together they took the stairs down to the ground floor and looked around for signs that anyone had broken in. Finding nothing, they worked their way up just as Leonardo had done with Michelangelo their first night in the building.

As before, Leonardo maneuvered the search so that their final destination was the psychiatrist’s office. He hadn’t thought about it before, but that choice of location was actually appropriate for the mental healing that Leonardo was attempting to accomplish.

He was just working out what to say to his brother when Raphael interrupted his thoughts. “So, you got me here. Kind of a round about way of doing it, but I thought I’d let you run with it to see what would happen.” Raphael walked over to the chaise and lifted his head to sniff the air before looking pointedly at his brother. “You guys think I’m dumb, don’t you?”

“No, we do not,” Leonardo said emphatically.

“Then blind,” Raphael said. “You think I haven’t noticed the way things have changed? Hell, Donnie’s swooning again like he did when April was around and Mikey’s all starry-eyed. And you . . . .”

He trailed off, jaw working. “What about me?” Leonardo prompted.

Raphael jabbed a finger in his direction. “You’ve been acting like cock of the walk.”

“Am I really that unbearable?” Leonardo asked, walking over to stand opposite his brother.

“You’re getting a big head, bigger than it already was,” Raphael snapped. “Now this . . . .” He waved at the lounge. “Whatever this is has made it even worse. Maybe those two are okay with you running every little thing in their lives, but I resent the hell out of seeing you waiting up for me to come home like you’re my . . . .”

His mouth snapped shut. Leonardo could see how worked up his brother was becoming but rather than stop him, he decided it would be better if Raphael had a chance to say exactly what was on his mind.

“I’m not Master Splinter,” Leonardo said gently. “I don’t want to be him. What I want, what we want, is for all of us to be close again.”

Raphael gaped at him. “Have you guys been talking about me behind my back?”

“Yes.” Leonardo knew that Raphael needed the truth, flat and unadulterated. “We are trying to find ways to help each other.”

“By having sex?” Raphael demanded. Abruptly he exploded. “Our whole world is falling apart! Master Splinter is gone! April split, Mona split, Casey’s talking about traveling, and here we are, stuck underground like the outcasts we are! Who even cares? Who the hell will ever care?”

Leonardo darted forward and wrapped his arms tightly around his brother. He held on as Raphael struggled against him. “Shh, it’s okay, Raph. I care. We care. Shh.”

He continued to murmur against Raphael’s head even as his brother pushed at him in an effort to escape his hold. After a few minutes of stumbling around with Leonardo holding him in a vise like grip, Raphael finally stopped moving and broke down, sobbing quietly into Leonardo’s shoulder.

“We’re not having sex,” Leonardo said, “we’re making love. We are learning that we can be everything to each other and that it’s okay. What I feel when I’m with Don and Mikey is more perfect than anything I ever felt with Karai. It’s the same for them. We feel complete, like it is something that was always meant to happen.”

After a minute, Raphael slowly lifted his head. The tears had soaked his mask and though his eyes were now dry, there was shame in them. “Now I’m acting like a damn girl. How is that good for anybody?”

“You don’t have to keep your guard up with us, Raph,” Leonardo told him earnestly. “That’s the point. If we can’t tell each other how we feel, if we can’t be completely honest with the brothers we’ve grown up with, then who can we open up to?”

Holding Raphael’s gaze, Leonardo moved forward to press a soft kiss to his brother’s lips and pulled back to wait for a reaction. Raphael’s eyes blew wide as he stared up in shock.

Leonardo braced himself. Rather than shoving him away though, Raphael suddenly wrapped an arm around him, gripped the back of his head, and returned the kiss.

The passion in that kiss had Leonardo’s head swimming. All of the volatile emotions that Raphael fought to control were poured into the kiss, his tongue demanding as it ground against Leonardo’s. For his part, Leonardo melted into his brother’s body, pressing as much of himself against Raphael as he could possibly manage.

When their lips separated, both were breathing heavily. “Damn.” Raphael cleared his throat. “Damn.”

“I love you,” Leonardo whispered. “I need you. We need you. We depend on you. Our world isn’t falling apart as long as we all have each other.”

Raphael’s eyes slid from his to the chaise and then back. “Okay then.” His tongue flicked out to touch his bottom lip and then drew back. “Okay. Let’s see what all the fuss is about.”

“Yes?” Leonardo asked. “You’re sure?”

A corner of Raphael’s mouth lifted. “Hey, I’m a turtle of action.”

Leonardo stepped out of his arms and lowered himself onto the chaise. “Less talk then,” he replied, a challenge in his voice.

Setting a knee on the chaise next to his brother, Raphael loomed over him. “Show me what you got.”

Catching hold of Raphael’s carapace, Leonardo flipped him over onto the lounge and their legs immediately wound together, their mouths once more connecting.

xxxxx

Two weeks later the four brothers were as one. They had all spent time with each of their three brothers before one night coming together as a foursome. It was the most rewarding evening of their lives, leaving all of them sated and deliriously happy.

At Michelangelo’s urging, the turtles had devised a way to retrieve the chaise lounge from the psychiatrist’s office. Working together, they got it out of the building, using a winch just as the youngest turtle had suggested.

It was given a spot in the living room so that on movie nights, the brothers could cuddle together on the couch and chaise. The fact that they rarely watched an entire movie anymore was a testament to how much they enjoyed being with each other.

None of them felt the need to isolate themselves or to suffer negative emotions alone. The support they offered to each other was complete, and because of it, so were they.

As Leonardo competed in a boisterous game of foosball with his brothers, he swore he could feel his father’s presence. Master Splinter’s spirit reflected the same joy that Leonardo himself was feeling and it was all because he had listened to his instincts and taken a chance.

This was a lesson Leonardo had been taught long ago. It was what had made him hold up his hand when their father had asked one of them to lead the others. There had been times when he’d wondered if that had been the right decision.

Looking around at the happy faces of his brothers, Leonardo knew that it had been.

The End


End file.
